Wicker Review: Olivia Colman Shines in Bawdy Fairy Tale

The new film "Wicker" offers a "hugely entertaining adaptation" of Ursula Wills-Jones' short story "The Wicker Husband," blending fairy tale elements with a "bawdy and engagingly quirky" tone. The film, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgard, is in cinemas now.

Colman plays a lonely medieval fisherwoman who, tired of village ridicule, commissions a husband from a Master Basket Weaver, played by Peter Dinklage. Her new spouse, brought to life by Skarsgard, is not only a paragon of domestic and romantic virtue but also, as the film playfully explores, unexpectedly virile. The story draws parallels to "Pinocchio" and other tales of artificial beings, though its focus remains on the fisherwoman's journey from loneliness to smugness, and eventually, anxiety.

Skarsgard "gives wooden performances a good name" with his portrayal, supported by strong special effects. Dinklage is noted for his "marvellous" performance as the Basket Weaver, who harbors a secret desire for the Wicker Husband. Richard E. Grant also makes an "uproarious cameo" as a clueless doctor.

However, it is Colman who "steals the show," expertly navigating her character's arc from downtrodden to overjoyed, and finally to paranoid as rumors about her husband's fidelity begin to surface. The film's narrative takes a tragic turn, though the review suggests its pleasures lie more in its substance and narrative nods than its overt message, which might touch on themes of not demonizing outsiders.

While not in the same league as acclaimed films like Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape Of Water," "Wicker" is described as "a lot of fun" and a "dark romantic fantasy."